• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

A Full Living

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Winter
  • Recipes
  • Portfolio
  • About Us
  • Work Together
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Winter
    • Recipes
    • Portfolio
    • About Us
    • Work Together
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
  • ×

    A Full Living » Blog » Sauces, Dressings, and Condiments

    Published: Sep 11, 2022 by Briana · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Pumpkin Pasta Sauce

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    pumpkin pasta sauce

    This Creamy Pumpkin Pasta Sauce is an easy, delicious recipe full of pumpkin flavor. When it's pumpkin season and you're looking for the perfect way to use up some leftover canned pumpkin, you'll love this dish full of savory flavor.

    close up shot of pumpkin pasta in an enameled cast iron skillet with fried sage, pine nuts, and parmesan.

    This recipe was adapted from our keto pumpkin alfredo with ground turkey! It's ultra-comforting and ready in just minutes.

    If you're looking for more fall weeknight dinners, try this creamy chicken and butternut squash skillet, this beanless chili, or these pork sausage stuffed apples!

    Jump to:
    • ❤️Why we love this recipe
    • 🎃Ingredients
    • ✏️Ingredient notes
    • 📖Instructions
    • ✨Tips & tricks
    • ♨️How to toast pine nuts
    • ✏️Substitutions & variations
    • 💭Frequently asked questions
    • ⏲Equipment
    • 🥣Storage
    • ♨️Reheating
    • 🌟Leave a review!
    • 📖 Recipe

    ❤️Why we love this recipe

    • A great way to incorporate pumpkin into your diet - Pumpkin is so widely used in baked goods, and we understand why, but folks often overlook its savory uses! Pumpkin has quite a mild flavor, transforming with whatever you're cooking it with.
    • Made with simple ingredients - This recipe is truly made with pantry staples. You can find anything you don't have on hand at the grocery store.
    • Delicious flavor - This recipe is really truly yummy, with a creamy ricotta pumpkin sauce, savory spices, fresh spinach, and parmesan cheese. What's not to love? This delicious sauce is versatile.
    • Customizable to suit different diet types - This recipe is naturally vegetarian, and can easily be made gluten-free, and even low-carb if you use pasta that suits your diet type.

    🎃Ingredients

    Here are the ingredients we used for this pasta sauce. Please feel free to omit or modify ingredients as you see fit. You can find the full quantities we used and nutritional information in the recipe card.

    pumpkin pasta sauce ingredients with text overlaying to denote each ingredient.

    ✏️Ingredient notes

    • Pasta of choice - You can use any type of pasta you prefer, that suits your dietary needs. Cook the pasta al dente, so that it doesn't become too soft when putting the whole dish together.
    • Reserved pasta water - This helps us make a creamy sauce. If you're using a pasta alternative, you could use chicken broth instead. You may need to add a bit more salt, and maybe ricotta and/or parmesan to thicken up the sauce properly.
    • Extra-virgin olive oil & unsalted butter - We use both to make this sauce. You can use one or the other if you like, but we love using both to create the best flavor.
    • Garlic cloves - Finely minced. Fresh garlic is going to go a long way here, but you can use garlic powder if that's all you have on hand.
    • Yellow onion - Diced.
    • Kosher salt & black pepper
    • Seasonings - We use a mixture of dried sage, thyme, red pepper flakes (optional, for a little kick), and surprisingly, nutmeg! The combo of these flavors makes this dish something special.
    • Tomato paste - Adds a rich, sweet tomato flavor to the sauce.
    • Pure pumpkin puree - Not pumpkin pie filling that has added extra sugar and spices. The only ingredient should be pumpkin.
    • Heavy cream - To make the sauce rich and creamy.
    • Ricotta cheese - To create a supremely rich and flavorful sauce with the perfect creamy texture.
    • Parmesan cheese - Freshly grated.
    • Fresh spinach - Optional, but adds a few extra nutrients to the sauce.
    • Garnish with: fresh sage that has been fried in a little bit of olive oil (optional), parmesan cheese, fresh thyme sprigs, and toasted pine nuts.

    📖Instructions

    📋Prep work

    • Prepare the pasta according to the package directions. Make sure to set aside at least 2 cups of pasta water!
    • Mince garlic.
    • Dice onion.
    • Grate parmesan.

    Step 1 - Cook the aromatics

    Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil, and butter to the skillet, along with minced garlic.

    Add garlic to the melted butter and cook until garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Now, add in onion, tomato paste, red pepper flakes, thyme, sage, and nutmeg with a big pinch of salt.

    melted butter with garlic, onion, tomato paste, and spices in it.

    Cook until the tomato paste deepens in color, about 2-3 minutes.

    cooked tomato paste in a skillet with garlic, onions, and spices.

    Step 2 - Add pumpkin puree and pasta water

    Reduce to medium-low heat, and add in the pumpkin puree, and about 1 cup of the pasta water. Stir to combine.

    pumpkin puree with liquid in a large skillet with garlic, onions, and seasonings.

    Stir constantly, until a sauce begins to form. This should take 2-3 minutes.

    pumpkin puree with seasonings in a large skillet.

    Step 3 - Add cream and cheese

    Reduce to low or medium-low heat, then pour in heavy cream, the ricotta cheese, and some of the parmesan. Make sure to add the parmesan slowly for it to melt completely before adding more!

    heavy cream, ricotta cheese, and parmesan in a skillet with pumpkin puree and seasonings.

    Stir constantly to make the sauce. Add more pasta water to thin, and add in parmesan in small handfuls to melt it slowly.

    creamy pumpkin pasta sauce in a large skillet.

    Step 4 - Wilt spinach

    Add the optional spinach.

    fresh spinach added to pumpkin sauce in a large skillet.

    Stir to wilt.

    pumpkin pasta sauce with spinach wilted into the sauce.

    Step 5 - Add cooked pasta

    Add the cooked pasta to the sauce in the skillet.

    cooked rigatoni pasta added to pumpkin sauce in a skillet.

    Add a little bit of more pasta water to help the sauce cling to the noodles. Toss to combine.

    pumpkin pasta sauce with rigatoni coated in the sauce.

    Step 6 - Garnish and serve

    Top with freshly grated parmesan cheese, pine nuts, fried sage, and more seasonings to taste. Enjoy!

    pumpkin pasta sauce served with rigatoni, fried sage, parmesan, and toasted pine nuts.

    ✨Tips & tricks

    • Cook pasta al dente. Make sure to not over cook your pasta! No one likes soggy pasta. Cooking the pasta al dente will make sure it holds up well once the sauce is added.
    • Don't forget to heavily salt the pasta water! This will ensure the pasta water isn't flavorless. The salted water makes the pasta more flavorful as well.
    • Don't burn the garlic. This recipe is ready very quickly, so don't walk away from the skillet at all. You will need to stir the garlic constantly to ensure it doesn't burn. If it burns, you need to start over with the dish.
    • Use freshly grated parmesan. Pre-shredded just won't melt as well. You will want to grate it yourself to make sure it melts easily into the sauce.
    very close up shot of rigatoni noodles covered in pumpkin pasta sauce, parmeesan, pine nuts, and fried sage.

    ♨️How to toast pine nuts

    Toasting pine nuts are a simple way to draw out lots of flavor, and you can do it quickly and easily. Here's how to do it.

    1. In a skillet over medium-low heat, add pine nuts to a hot skillet.
    2. Move pine nuts around frequently, until they are golden brown and release a nutty aroma. This will take 2-5 minutes.
    3. Set aside to cool. That's it!

    You can also buy toasted pine nuts (affiliate link) at the store.

    ✏️Substitutions & variations

    Here are a few substitutions you can make to help this dish fit your diet!

    • Dairy free - Use a dairy free or vegan butter, parmesan, and ricotta cheese. You will also need to swap the heavy cream for full fat coconut milk or your favorite dairy free cream alternative.
    • Vegan - Follow the swaps for dairy free, and just make sure you're using a vegan friendly pasta.
    • Spicy - Love spice? Add extra red pepper flakes, or a little cayenne pepper.
    • Add protein- Make it a whole meal by adding protein like shrimp, chicken, or turkey.
    • Herbed - You can always add more herbs! Rosemary and parsley would be perfect with this sauce.
    • Super creamy - If you're looking for something extra creamy, add in extra heavy cream, ricotta, and butter.
    • Gluten free - Use your favorite gluten-free pasta for this recipe, as the rest of the ingredients are naturally gluten free!
    • Low carb or keto - Want to make this low carb? No problem. Just use your favorite carb pasta. We adore this low carb fettuccine! For keto, try this protein packed, plant-based pasta by Kaizen.
    • Low carb & gluten free - If you're looking for a low carb AND gluten free option, use shirataki noodles, palmini noodles, or zucchini noodles.
    • Swap pasta water for broth - You can use vegetable stock or broth if you want to go a vegetarian option. If not vegetarian, we recommend using chicken broth.
    • Add veggies - The sky is the limit when it comes to adding veggies! Some of our top veggie choices would be zucchini, mushrooms, tomatoes, or butternut squash.

    *Please note, if subbing for pasta water, or using pasta alternatives, your sauce may be lacking starch. Starch helps the sauce come together when we add the pasta water. So you may need to thicken the sauce with extra cheese, ricotta, or pumpkin puree. You can also try adding less liquid to the sauce.

    💭Frequently asked questions

    Can I use garlic powder for this recipe?


    Since there are only a few basic ingredients in this recipe, we highly recommend using fresh garlic if possible.

    However, you can use garlic powder if that is all you have on hand. One garlic clove is equivalent to ¼ of a teaspoon of garlic powder, so keep this in mind.

    Can I use homemade pumpkin puree?

    Sure! Just note that you will likely need to add less liquid, as homemade pumpkin puree usually has more liquid in it than store-bought varieties.

    Why do we save some of the pasta water?


    The water reserved from the pasta has some starches in it, which helps us to create a silky smooth sauce to coat the noodles.

    Do I have to salt the water?

    Yes and no! If you don't salt the water, your pasta noodles will become bland and flavorless. Use at least 1.5 tablespoons of kosher salt per every pound of pasta. We know it seems like a lot, but since the pasta is only in the water for a few minutes, it needs to make an impact.

    With that being said, if you are using a pasta alternative (like shiraki or zucchini noodles) that don't need to be boiled in salted water, just make sure to add a little extra salt to the sauce to taste.

    ⏲Equipment

    Luckily, this recipe is pretty standard and you really don't need much to make it.

    • We love our enameled cast iron skillet, as it's super easy to clean, but you can use any skillet you'd like to bring this dish together.
    • If using enameled cast iron, make sure to use silicone or wooden utensils, so you don't scrape the bottom of the pan.
    • You'll definitely need a large stock pot or dutch oven for boiling the pasta.
    • We use a Microplane to finely grate the parmesan cheese.

    🛒Shop this recipe

    Need supplies for this recipe? We've linked our favorites right here in our Amazon Store! You don't pay anything extra if you shop using our link, but we get a small percentage of the sale. 

    A Full Living is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associate program, an affiliate advertising program designed to promote a means for sites to earn advertising fees by linking products to amazon.com. We only share products we use and love.

    forkful of pumpkin pasta sauce coating rigatoni overtop of a skillet full of pasta.

    🥣Storage

    This pasta is most definitely enjoyed fresh, while it's nice and hot. However, it will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

    If stored separately, you can freeze the pumpkin pasta sauce for up to 6 months. We don't recommend freezing the sauce with the noodles.

    ♨️Reheating

    To reheat on the stovetop, we'd recommend adding a little bit of water, and more olive oil or butter with the pasta to your skillet. Move around constantly to prevent any sticking or burning, and remove from the skillet as soon as the noodles are warmed through.

    In the microwave, add a few tablespoons of water to the noodles, and reheat in 15-second intervals, stirring in between until the noodles are warmed through.

    🌟Leave a review!

    Make sure to leave a 5-star review below! This helps other readers find our recipes via Google, and encourages them to try them. Also be sure to leave a comment with your experience!

    Take a photo and share with us by tagging us on Instagram or follow along on Pinterest for more ideas!

    📖 Recipe

    pumpkin pasta sauce

    Pumpkin Pasta Sauce

    This easy, creamy Pumpkin Pasta Sauce is the ultimate fall comfort food! Savory, cheesy, and luscious with plenty of herbs, and cheese. Serve with your favorite pasta, and enjoy a quick meal!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate SaveSaved!
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 8 servings
    Author: Briana

    Ingredients

    • 1 pound pasta of choice
    • 2 cups reserved salted pasta water (can use chicken or vegetable broth)
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
    • 8 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
    • 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided (to taste, and can vary depending on if you used pasta water or not)
    • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
    • 1 teaspoon dried sage
    • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional and to taste)
    • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
    • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
    • 15 ounces pure pumpkin puree
    • 8 ounces ricotta cheese
    • 4 ounces freshly grated parmesan cheese (add slowly)
    • 8 ounces heavy cream
    • 5 ounces baby spinach (optional)
    • pine nuts, parmesan, fresh herbs, fried sage

    Instructions

    • Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions. Reserve 2 cups of pasta water, set aside.
    • Add olive oil, and butter to a skillet, along with minced garlic. Cook until garlic is fragrant, then add in onion, tomato paste, red pepper flakes, thyme, sage, and nutmeg with a big pinch of salt. Cook until the tomato paste deepens in color, about 2-3 minutes. Over medium-low heat, pour in pumpkin puree, and about 1 cup of pasta water to thin the sauce. Allow to simmer for about 3-5 minutes.
    • Stir in heavy cream, ricotta, and about a quarter of the parmesan cheese at a time. Melt completely, and stir constantly before adding another handful of cheese.
    • Once all cheese is melted, reduce the heat to low, and stir in the spinach to wilt. Adjust seasonings to taste.
    • Top with toasted pine nuts, fresh parmesan, thyme, sage, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Enjoy!
    • Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

    Notes

    • Nutrition facts are for the sauce only. Garnishes and pasta are not included. All garnishes are optional and to taste. 
    • Always heavily salt the pasta water to make sure the noodles absorb flavor. 
    • Cook the pasta al dente.
    • Add pasta water to reach your desired texture. If more liquid is desired, add in chicken or vegetable broth. 
    • Always use freshly grated parmesan and add in small batches so that it melts properly into the sauce. Using pre-shredded cheese can result in a lumpy sauce. 
    • Use fresh ingredients whenever possible for this recipe. 
    • For more substitutions, variations, and diet types, be sure to check the body of the blog post.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 299kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 66mg | Sodium: 931mg | Potassium: 388mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 10803IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 251mg | Iron: 2mg

    These nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy and are only estimates. We cannot guarantee the accuracy.

    Did you love it?If you made this recipe, make sure to show us on Instagram at @AFullLiving or tag #AFullLiving! We love to see what you guys are making!
    Course: Pasta
    Cuisine: American
    « Honey Hot Wings
    Keto Pumpkin Muffins with Spiced Maple Glaze »

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Briana and Chamere in Norway Opera House

    Hi, We're A Full Living! Bringing wholesome recipes, treats, & drinks for all occasions!

    More about us→

    Winter Recipes

    • Steak and Seafood Skillet with Parmesan Cream Sauce
    • Beef Bourguignon Pressure Cooker Recipe
    • Chicken and Butternut Squash Recipe with Parmesan Sauce
    • Keto Mushroom Sauce Recipe
    • KFC Famous Bowl Recipe
    • Jalapeño Popper Chicken Skillet Recipe

    Trending Recipes

    • Cowboy Butter Dipping Sauce
    • How To Blanch and Peel Pearl Onions
    • How To Cook Melt in the Mouth Roast Beef with Gravy
    • Air Fryer Short Ribs
    • Lavender Gin Cocktail (Gin Fizz)
    • Sugar Free Apple Cider (Low Carb)
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • About us

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Work With Us
    • Portfolio

    As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. This website earns income from ads.

    Copyright © 2023 A Full Living